Published Oct 26, 2025Last updated 4 hours ago8 minute readThe 1977 to 1979 Greenwood bantam girls’ softball teams were inducted into the Kingston Greenwood Sports Hall of Fame Oct. 25. Team members, from left, are Debbie Ramsdale, Sherry Dahlgren, Debbie Stymest, Tina Creelman, Lisa Janes, Novalea Jarvis, Lynn Stewart, Donna MacDonald, Kathy Cheverie, Laurel Carpenter, Laura Justus and coach Don Hyslop. Photo by Jason Malloy /Annapolis Valley RegisterArticle contentGerry MacMillan competed in golf championships in every Canadian province and overseas in places like the St. Andrews course in Scotland and Sydney, Australia.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle content“I never forgot where I came from,” he said. “I was always so proud to represent my community, my club, my province and my country.”Article contentArticle contentMacMillan was one of four individuals and two teams to be inducted into the Kingston Greenwood Sports Hall of Fame. More than 200 people attended the Oct. 25 ceremony at 14 Wing Greenwood.Article contentArticle contentThe inaugural class also included athletes Ken Wregget and the late Barb McKeil, fastball umpire Ernie Hatfield Sr., the 1976-77 to 1978-79 Greenwood Bombers bantam boys’ hockey teams and the 1977 to 1979 Greenwood Red Sox bantam girls’ softball squads.Article contentArticle content The family of the late Barb McKeil was honoured she was included in the first class of the Kingston Greenwood Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony occurred Oct. 25 at 14 Wing Greenwood. From left are Linda Ramsay, Doug McKeil, Debbie Brown and Ross McKeil. Photo by Jason Malloy /Annapolis Valley RegisterArticle contentMcKeilArticle contentMcKeil excelled in softball, bowling, curling, golf and stock car racing. She was a fierce competitor, but it wasn’t all about winning for her.Article content“It was about bringing out the best in herself and those around her,” explained her daughter Linda Ramsay. “Mom was the epitome of being the golfer everyone wanted to play with.”Article contentRamsay said her mother didn’t like speaking in front of crowds, but if she was at the ceremony, she would thank the selection committee, her family and those who supported her during her career.Article contentArticle content“Mom had many fans, however, none greater than our Dad,” she said proudly of Doug.Article contentArticle contentMcKeil was a member of the Halifax Wilson Chipetts who won the 1956 provincial women’s softball championship. She skipped multiple teams to curling bonspiels wins in western Nova Scotia. She won three Powder Puff Derby titles at the Meadowvale Racetrack. And she was part of a team from Greenwood that won the Maritime Bowling Championship in 1971.Article contentBut it was on the golf course, McKeil had her greatest success.Article contentShe won the Paragon club championship 23 times, won the Nova Scotia senior women’s title twice and represented the province at Canadian championships in every province.Article content“Mom was more than a great golfer. She was a kind and generous person who loved life,” Ramsay said. “My mother was a great person. She loved life. She loved people. She was very, very kind.”Article contentHer competitive career was cut short in 1993 following a cancer diagnosis. She died in July 2022.Article content“I know her legacy lives on through the countless lives that she’s touched,” Ramsay said. “There are many ways to describe Mom. She was competitive, committed and determined. She was athletic, witty, a warrior and a survivor.”Article contentArticle contentArticle contentRed SoxArticle contentThe Red Sox were formed from players at Dwight Ross Junior High School.Article contentIn 1977, despite not having a local minor softball association, the team entered provincials. They swept Halifax Jollimore in the best-of-three series.Article contentThey added four players from West Kings Junior High School in 1978 and repeated as provincial champs. With 11 returnees in 1979, the team won the first Eastern Canadian bantam girls’ championship.Article content“They were exceptional,” a proud coach Don Hyslop said. “They showcased exceptional talent, determination and community spirit and they’ve earned a place in Nova Scotia softball history.”Article contentHe said the players were easy to coach and worked hard on and off the field. He noted they raised funds for uniforms and to pay umpires by picking strawberries and hosting bake sales and car washes.Article contentThe team went 32-1 in the three seasons with the lone loss coming to a senior women’s team.Article contentArticle content“More than any win or statistic, what stands out most vividly in my memory are the relationships we forged together,” Laurel Carpenter said. “I see the faces of my teammates and I am reminded of a shared dedication, the hard work and the unbreakable bond that defined our time together.”Article contentShe also thanked Hyslop for his vision, dedication and unwavering belief.Article contentArticle content Ernie Hatfield umpired for more than 60 years. He was inducted into the Kingston Greenwood Sports Hall of Fame during an Oct. 25 at 14 Wing Greenwood. Photo by Jason Malloy /Annapolis Valley RegisterArticle contentHatfieldArticle contentKnown as Mr. Consistency, Hatfield umped for more than 60 years, calling his last games in 2022.Article contentBerwick pitcher Gary Whittier remembered Hatfield as a strong-armed outfielder before he became an umpire.Article content“Ernie wasn’t just a good ballplayer and good umpire, he was an all-around great guy and I considered him a friend,” Whittier said.Article contentHatfield thanked his wife Dorothy who saw more than 90 per cent of his games. She would share with him when he didn’t miss a call all game or when he needed to bring the strike zone up a bit.Article contentArticle content“She kept me on my toes,” he said.Article contentA level four umpire, Hatfield served as the Annapolis Valley’s umpire-in-chief for more than a decade, covering the region from Windsor to Digby. He was known for his fairness, sharp eye and love for the game.Article content Ernie Hatfield shares some stories during his Kingston Greenwood Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Oct. 25. Photo by Jason Malloy /Annapolis Valley RegisterArticle contentHe officiated nationals and provincials as well as military zone championships in the Maritimes. Hatfield shared a story from one of those nationals at his induction ceremony.Article contentAfter umpiring a game, there was a meet and greet. One of the players told him he had a good game earlier in the day. He also shared the players had a meeting and determined Hatfield was the second-best umpire at the event.Article content“I bit,” Hatfield shared, “I said who’s the best?Article content“He said, ‘All the rest.’”Article contentHatfield also coached the 14 Wing Greenwood Raiders to the national military championship in 1967.Article contentArticle content The 1976-77 to 1978-1979 Greenwood Bombers bantam hockey teams were inducted into the Kingston Greenwood Sports Hall of Fame on Oct. 25. From left are Don Slade, Jeff Bond, Eric Morgan, Todd Roberts, Craig York, Tim Zwicker, Ken Wregget, Wayne MacPherson, Gordon Duval, Robert Tait, Paul Rawding, Gerry Peach, Karl Meade and Wayne Snow. Photo by Jason Malloy /Annapolis Valley RegisterArticle contentBombersArticle contentThe Bombers represented a golden era for minor hockey in Greenwood, capturing three straight provincial titles playing at the highest level of bantam at the time.Article content“These guys were more than just teammates,” said Peter Stewart, of the 1976-77 team. “They were classmates, they were neighbours and they were friends.”Article contentIn Year 2 of the run, Greenwood won the first Maritime bantam title. They completed the trifecta in 1978-79 and repeated as Maritime champs.Article contentThe teams were coached by Al Pickering, Ken Peach and Mark MacPherson with John Connors and Roy Addison as assistant coaches. Karl Meade also credited Dave Dill, who coached the peewee team, for setting the groundwork and called Wayne MacPherson the “manager of the century.”Article contentMeade recalled Pickering handing out a 50-page playbook to the players, but noted the beloved coach helped instilled values, including hard work and respect, in the boys. He also asked people to raise their glass to remember those who couldn’t attend the ceremony.Article contentArticle content Golfer Gerry MacMillan was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the Kingston Greenwood Sports Hall of Fame on Oct. 25. Photo by Jason Malloy /Annapolis Valley RegisterArticle contentMacMillanArticle contentMacMillan was a dominant force on golf courses across the province, winning seven Nova Scotia amateur titles between 1976 and 1998. He was runner-up six more times.Article contentArticle contentHis long list of accomplishments also included four mid-amateur championships, five four-ball titles and helping Nova Scotia win its first Canadian team championship in 1999 when he placed third overall. He won provincial titles in each decade from the 1960s to 2020s.Article content“So good for so long,” said son Chad. “This is a phrase that has often been used to describe our dad’s golfing career.”Article contentFellow Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame member Graham MacIntyre called MacMillan a good ball-striker with a combination of power and accuracy.Article content“He had a good short game and good finish around the greens.”Article contentMacMillan thanked his wife Gail, family and friends who attended the event. The retired superintendent of Paragon club said his love for the game continues.Article content“The people you meet along the way that’s what you remember the most,” he said.Article contentArticle content Stanley Cup champion Ken Wregget was inducted into the Kingston Greenwood Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony at 14 Wing Greenwood on Oct. 25. Photo by Jason Malloy /Annapolis Valley RegisterArticle contentWreggetArticle contentThe last person inducted was Wregget, the former NHL goalie who was also part of two of the Bombers hockey teams honoured.Article contentArticle contentThe Manitoba-born Wregget played minor hockey in Greenwood from age eight to 14 after his father was transferred to the base.Article contentHe was a forward and a defenceman early in his hockey career but saw a pair of size 6 CCM goalie skates at an equipment sale on the way home from the movies one summer day in Greenwood. He asked his father if he could get them and it ended up starting him on the journey to becoming a Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992.Article content“The hockey world and Greenwood-Kingston communities are glad that Ken picked up those second-hand skates many years ago, making a decision that led him to a 17-year career in the NHL,” MacPherson said.Article content“His path from a small-town rink to hockey’s biggest stage inspires generations.”Article contentWregget said it was an honour to receive the recognition.Article content“The support from the community is second to none,” he said.Article contentWregget said he wasn’t familiar with the Bombers statistics until arriving back in the Valley on Oct.23.Article content“To me, I was just playing hockey, having fun goofing around with (my) buddies,” he said.Article contentWregget backstopped the Bombers to the first two titles, including the first one as an underaged player. His father was transferred to Cold Lake, Alta., in 1979. He played three seasons in the Western Hockey League with the Lethbridge Broncos, winning the 1982-83 league title on a team that included brothers Ron and Rich Sutter.Article contentWregget was drafted in the third round of the 1982 draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs and went on to play 575 NHL games with five teams during his career.Article contentThe 61-year-old Wregget said he had received nothing but love and support since arriving back in the area for the ceremony. He was appreciative of the great attendance for the event.Article contentArticle content“(It) makes me feel very proud to be part of this and to be inducted into this Hall of Fame.”Article contentArticle contentLooking aheadArticle contentThe Hall also acknowledged the athletic accomplishments during the past year of athletes and teams in the region and on the base.Article contentPlaques of the Hall of Fame members will be placed in the Credit Union Centre in Kingston until a permanent location is determined.Article contentThe Hall of Fame committee invites nominations for the Hall. The nominations stand for a five-year period without having to be resubmitted. No more than six individuals/teams will be inducted annually. The ceremonies will be held in October.Article contentArticle contentNeed to knowArticle contentThe Kingston Greenwood Sports Hall of Fame committee members are:Article contentLeo GlavineArticle contentDon RawdingArticle contentLiz WrightArticle contentWayne FowlerArticle contentDave KennedyArticle contentHazel McEwanArticle contentJim SpurrellArticle contentGerry MeadeArticle contentDon HyslopArticle contentKelly HuttonArticle contentSherri MooreArticle contentBrad BeardsleyArticle contentPatsy RawdingArticle content
HOMETOWN PROUD: Kingston Greenwood Sports Hall of Fame welcomes inaugural class
